Eventful Evening
by freelancer-babe
Summary: Booth spends an evening with Brennan at the Bureau Ball. BB.
1. Chapter 1

**Sadly I don't own Bones. This is written for entertainment purposed only. Enjoy!

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The crowd was alive. The sound of music drifted around the room. Champagne glasses clinked and the air of laughter filled his ears as he waited in the foyer area. Just beyond the foyer door, he could see the brightly lit hall for the Annual Bureau & Partners dinner and dance, which he had been anticipating for quite some time.

Seeley Booth glanced through the glass doors and was amazed by the spectacle before him. Round tables dressed with white cloths enclosed a large dance floor. The tables were adorned with cutlery, champagne and blue and white flowers as the centre piece- the evening theme. People ate, drank, danced and laughed. But he told himself that he would not immerse himself in the ambiance until his partner showed up.

He was supposed to have arrived at half past six. He had been ten minutes late and had been prepared to apologise profusely and utilise his charm smile to con her into forgiving him, so he was somewhat bewildered when he realised that Brennan wasn't there yet. He was still waiting for her ten minutes later. He glanced at his watch wearily as he eyed the front desk to his left, the red-carpeted staircase in front of him, and the hall entrance to his right.

He turned to the hall entrance trying to search out the squints. The Jeffersonian was a key associate of the FBI and the staff had been invited to the ball. He had reluctantly accepted to sit with them, dreading that he would have to listen to Zach and Hodgens competing against each other all night. The upside was that he would be near Brennan. He was a little uncertain whether she would be willing to be his date but he had come into his office a few days before and cautiously asked her, unsure of what her reaction would be. He was somewhat prepared for the worse but she had agreed, pointing out that they were indeed partners and it seemed only logical considering the event.

"Booth?" Angela called in surprise from the hall entrance.

"Hey," He smiled as he turned toward her, "You look nice."

She smiled at him. She was dressed in a green halterneck, which reached her knees at the front but was full length at the back. Her hair was loosely curled. She figured that if he thought _she _looked nice, he was going to be stunned when he saw Brennan…

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" She asked excitedly.

"Well I'm waiting for Bones. She was supposed to be here 20 minutes ago," Booth sighed exasperatedly and stared at his watch for the twentieth time that evening, "What are you doing out here?"

"Well the bathroom is upstairs," She pointed to the staircase and he looked, "Maybe she needed to go."

"For the past ten minutes?" Booth asked, "It doesn't take someone that long to pee."

"Hey, she's a woman!" Angela replied, rolling her eyes at him, "She may be doing other things then just _peeing._"

Booth smiled, "Where is she?" He muttered more to himself than to Angela.

"I'm right behind you."

Booth turned in surprise. He didn't need to see her to know who it was; he knew her voice all too well. His eyes located her coming down the red staircase and he was instantly mesmerised. Temperance Brennan wore an aqua full-length dress, with beaded straps that folded into a low V below her neck. Her hair hung in loose waves around her face and her dress only served to bring out the blue in her eyes, which shone with anticipation. His eyes captured hers and his breathe hitched in his chest.

She blushed at his appreciative stare and slowly twirled on the spot revealing the plunging back of the dress. Her eyes met his again as he struggled to restart all bodily processes.

"You look amazing." He whispered in honest sincerity. He always knew how beautiful she was, but tonight she looked confident, graceful, elegant, and all other synonyms of the word that he knew she would be able to name if given the opportunity.

Angela sighed happily as she felt the atmosphere in the room. Booth and Brennan were brought back to their senses as they realised where they were, and that she was there. Booth cleared his throat nervously and moved toward Brennan as she came down the last few steps. Suddenly, her heel caught the hem of her dress and she found herself losing her balance. Booths instincts kicked in and he caught her in his arms before she hit the ground. She took a deep sigh of relief and looked up at Booth thankfully, their faces only inches apart.

"Not so early, Bones," he smiled at her gently and she felt the warm tingle of his breath on her cheek as he spoke those words, "Plenty of time for that later in the evening." He winked at her as she smiled back realising he was joking.

"Sorry, my fault," Angela admitted guiltily, "Ya, Shouldn't have made you wear those heels…"

She was ofcourse referring to the two inch silver heels that she had forced Brennan to wear this evening. Angela said that she would look tall and elegant [who knew what other evil thoughts she was imagining at the time!. Brennan had finally agreed to wear them; she thought they matched her dress nicely. Maybe it wasn't the best idea after all.

"I shouldn't have worn these," she decided, "Shoes with heels higher than an inch put excess strain on the feet as well as the calf muscles. They cause a restriction in blood circulation over extreme periods of time. They cause numbness-"

"Alright then," Booth cut her off. He knew that spell would be broken as soon as she opened her mouth. But that was his bones, he smiled to himself.

"Well I'm off to the bathroom," Angela said as she moved around Brennan to continue up the stairs. She turned around and glanced at them quickly. She smiled, giddy with excitement. They were lost in each other and barely noticed her.

"Shall we?" Booth's voice brought her back to reality. She smiled nervously, as he took her arm in his and silently led her into the ball. He had been anticipating the ball for quite some time; it would be a night to remember.

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**Hope you enjoyed.**

**It was supposed to be a one-shot but it has potential for a few more chapters.**

**Let me know what you think, hit that button!**

**Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for reviewing, putting me on your alerts and favourites lists. **

**This chapter includes many of the other characters as well. Enjoy!

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**Temperance Brennan wasn't used to bright lights, long dresses or lots and lots of people. Suffice to say; although she had been to numerous formal occasions in her life, she had never really been a fan. So she was somewhat surprised when she found herself smiling in concurrence when Angela had pointed out what an exciting evening they were going to have, and when she found herself adding a little extra foundation to her features, and when she realised that she was actually looking forward to the event.

She was cautious that tonight may disappoint her like as other occasions had, but as she entered the room, she was decidedly impressed. The ambience was inviting but not overwhelming. She enjoyed the jazz music, which played in the background and made a mental note to ask the MC the names of the composers. She recognised the friendly faces and she was warming to the idea of spending the evening with her friends and with Booth.

"Dr. Brennan," She heard her name and turned to find that she had almost walked past the Jeffersonian table. As Zach called out to her, Hodgens and Cam turned in their direction and stood up to greet them. As Brennan moved toward them, Booth removed his hand from hers.

"Hi Zach." He waited expectantly, "Nice suit."

Booth raised an eyebrow.

"You guys are late," Cam tried to make conversation.

Booth mentioned something about traffic as he and Brennan looked at each other. Cam smiled politely as she noticed and Booth could feel the tension begin to form.

Cam took a sip from her champagne as the awkward silence hung over them.

"Well, uh, why don't you guys sit down," Hodgens quickly jumped in. They were all thankful for the interruption as Booth and Brennan took their seats at the round Jeffersonian table. Hodgen's informed them that Angela should be coming back soon. Booth responded that she was on her way to the bathroom when he saw her last.

They mingled in careful conversation until Angela arrived some 15 minutes later. She was the icebreaker for the circle and steered the conversation to more lively topics such as the music, the frocks and predictions upon who would be hooking up with who over the next few days, as she eyed the ladies and gentlemen who took to the floor. Booth thought that she sounded a bit like a Hollywood magazine. However he did notice that she was right about the music and that some of her predictions about the couples had infact already occurred- not that he was supposed to know this.

Angela also hinted that one of her predicted couples sat at their very table. She was either talking about Booth and Brennan or Zach and Cam. Booth smirked at Brennan mischievously, Brennan simply rolled her eyes, whilst Cam looked down.

The meals started arriving after a few minutes, consisting off a three-course meal; Entrée, dinner and dessert, each of which tasted delicious- the squints expected nothing less of the Bureau. Colleagues of Booth arrived at the table every so often to introduce themselves to the squints and too chat with Booth. The Jeffersonian clan easily mingled with themselves and other tables, _especially those inclined to forensics_, Booth noticed.

As he finished his dessert, Booth looked for Brennan and located her at one of the far tables, immersing herself eagerly in a discussion with someone who looked oddly like Zach. He smiled at how interested she looked and his eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary. She must have felt him looking at her, as her eyes landed on his. For a moment, the rest of the people in the room ceased to exist and it was only him and her.

"That's very interesting Zach," Cam's voice brought Booth back to reality as he turned to see her nursing her champagne whilst trying to pay attention to Zach's lengthy discussion about bone inconsistencies.

Booth sighed as he walked to the other side of the table where they stood; he had an obligation.

"Mind if I interrupt?" Booth took Cam's hand and led her to the dance floor, to the surprise of both Cam and Zach. The music played softly as they danced.

"You should thank me," Booth gave her one of his best grins.

"Why is that?"

"Because I just saved you from Zach!" He whispered cheekily. Cam smiled quietly and rolled her eyes, but remained discreet. They continued to sway to the music but Booth found his eyes drifting to Brennan again. Her scientific friend had engaged her in a conversation and it looked like he was hitting on her, Booth noticed with a frown. He must have said something funny because her smile broke into a laugh, which lit up her eyes. It was contagious and Booth couldn't help but smile with her.

"You look beautiful tonight Cam," he stole another glimpse of Brennan quickly.

"Yeah," she muttered as she looked away.

"What? Don't believe me?" he joked as he met her gaze. She paused.

"Well, you weren't exactly looking at me when you said that." She looked into his eyes, and his smile diminished slightly. He felt that she was trying to read him; she knew.

"May _I_ interrupt," Zach held out his hand, and loudly cut in with his methodical voice, as if there was something vaguely scientific about asking a woman to dance. Booth thought that _maybe _it was his way of covering up the nerves. Booth nodded and Cam smiled as she took Zach's hand.

"Guess I couldn't save you after all," Booth tried to lighten the mood one more time as he left the floor. He returned to their table at the same time as Brennan. He smiled as they nursed their drinks and observed the atmosphere, happy to be in each other's company.

"So, who's your _friend_?" Booth asked.

"My friend?" Brennan replied as Booth pointed in the direction of Brennan's 'squint' friend, "He works at University of Washington, he's a medical technician. He was able to give me a few insights into bone structures and how they develop over time."

Booth nodded blankly as he observed her interest. Her gaze settled on him as she studied him. He looked at her questioningly.

"Why are you staring at me?" He asked.

"Its just that you've been looking at me all night…"

"Well, you look nice," he whispered sincerely, "That's why."

Brennan put her glass down and leaned forward with a smile, "There's something I wanted to ask you-"

"Booth!" they both turned to see a tall man of Booth's age walking toward them. His eyes were a chocolate brown and his hair a dark blonde. Brennan cleared her throat and moved back a little. Whilst Booth muttered under his breath as he recognised the man.

"Long time no see, Booth!" He walked up to him. Booth moved in front of Brennan, put on a smile and shook the man's hand.

"Craig, it's been a while!"

"What have you been upto? Hows the FBI treating you?"

"Same old, same old," Booth replied with a hint of bitterness. Brennan popped her head out from behind Booth, puzzled and looking for an explanation. Craig's opportunity had presented itself.

"Who's your lady friend?" He smiled warmly at Brennan.

Booth flinched inwardly as stepped away from Brennan and Craig shook her hand. She found to be a pleasant man and introduced herself. A million thoughts were running through Booth's mind as he watched the scene unroll in front of him. _Shit_, he swore to himself; things were about to get ugly.

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**So what was Brennan going to ask Booth? And who is this evil guy? Review to find out! D**

**Not as much BB in this one but the next one will have more! I think the next chapter will be the last, if you have any ideas let me know!**

**I'm doing this for you guys so please review! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews, you guys keep me writing! Enjoy!

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**_Aw crap_, Booth swore to himself again as he lay his head on his arms. 15 minutes later and he was still sitting at the table in grief as Brennan conversed with the man, right in front of him. It was killing him to see that they were getting along so well as he had hoped that Brennan would take an instant dislike to him.

The man had introduced himself as Alan Phelps, Special Agent in Charge of numerous cases in Quantico. He mentioned that he and Booth were partners a few years ago when he worked in Washington, his promotion then lead to a change in location. He forgot to mention a few other details about the promotion and the events surrounding it, Booth had noticed.

"It's the victims that still have their skin, which I find to be quite disturbing," Brennan was saying.

"Me too!" Phelps vehemently agreed, "It's not that I don't respect the victims, I would just rather not work on those cases."

"Exactly."

The tone of his voice made Booth want to roll his eyes in disgust. It was evident that Quantico had done nothing to quell his ego.

"Shall I get us another drink?" He asked Brennan with a smile that appeared almost as charming as Booths. Almost.

Brennan nodded. "What about you Booth?" Phelps asked.

Booth shook his head and attempted a polite smile. Phelps left to get the drinks and Booth moved toward Brennan.

"You've been very quiet," Brennan mentioned as he came to stand next to her.

"Its Phelps. I need to talk to you about him," Booth took a deep breath as he removed his hands from his pocket. "He's… not someone you want to be hanging out with."

"Why not?" Brennan asked, her expression was one of scepticism.

"He has a _long_ record with women," Booth sighed, "And a bad one."

"He seems like a nice guy. It's been a while since you've spoken to him, maybe he's changed." Brennan finished the last of her champagne and turned to Booth. "Are you jealous?" She asked, her blue eyes studying him.

"No!" Booth exclaimed, "Of him? No way. Look." He pulled her to the side and leant in so she could hear him properly, "He thinks he is God's gift to women."

Brennan lifted her eyebrows and bit back a comment about the hypocrisy of that statement.

"He has a way of getting women to go out with him. His kinda manipulative."

"I'm highly capable of standing my ground," Brennan laughed him off.

"I know that better than any, Bones. He can be very persuasive."

"And I can defend myself _if_ I need to," she was starting to get a little annoyed. Brennan had planned on spending the evening with her partner and friends, as well as getting to know some other people who shared similar interests. What she hadn't called for was jealousy or arguments, the former of which she believed she was getting from Booth.

"There's something else-"

"Dr. Brennan," he was back. Brennan moved away from Booth and accepted her drink with a smile.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, noticing the tension that seemed to forming.

"Fine," Brennan replied. Booth forced a smile; he was furious, and deeply concerned.

"Great." Phelps took another sip from his drink. "Well, uh, would you care for a dance Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan smiled and shot a look towards Booth who was mentally trying to tell her _don't do it_, before taking Phelps hand as he led her to the dance floor.

A few minutes went by but time seemed to stand still for Booth as he watched his partner dance and laugh with Phelps. Angela and Hodgens were on the dancefloor, Booth had a feeling that Angela had noticed Phelps but just hadn't said anything yet. Zach and Cam were mingling and he was standing at the table feeling immensely stressed out. He realised he couldn't take it anymore. He took to the dancefloor and walked toward the couple.

"May I interrupt?" Booth asked as he interrupted them both. Phelps was surprised. He looked as if he was going to say no but Booth held out his hand expectantly, Phelps had no choice but to comply. Maintaining his dignity, he smiled at Brennan and walked off.

Booth took Brennan's hand and pulled her close.

"See, I saved you too!" he joked.

"That was incredibly rude Booth," She watched Phelps walk off the floor. She turned to Booth, "What's going on with you?"

"His not a good guy Bones! He-"

Brennan rolled her eyes and pulled away from Booth. Booth followed her back to the table in an attempt to get her to listen to him. She picked up a glass of champagne and downed it.

"Look, there's more to it," Booth tried exasperatedly, "If you'll me explain."

"Is everything alright?" _speak of the devil._

"Everything is just fine buddy." Booth muttered.

"You are jealous!" Brennan poked before walking away. Booth called her name and grasped her wrist. She shrugged him off and kept walking.

"Look Booth, I don't think she wants to talk to you." Phelps shoved him back a little. Booth shoved back, Phelps pushed harder. That was all it took. Booth lifted his first and threw a blow to Phelps left cheek. Phelps punched him back in the face harder. A few people at nearby tables turned to watch the spectacle. The squints seemed to gather around in shock. A security guard arrived to restrain Phelps whilst Hodgens somehow managed to hold Booth back.

"Oh my God," Brennan gasped as Booth dabbed at his nose, which had begun to ooze with blood.

"I think you need to get some fresh air," the big-built security man said to both of them, curtly.

"Good idea," Phelps replied as he shot Booth a threatening look before turning to Brennan expectantly, "Temperance?"

Booth broke free from Hodgens and looked toward Brennan with a sense of dread.

"Don't go," he commanded softly. Angela noticed the tension in his eyes and hoped that she would stay; because Booth was her partner. Brennan gazed at him somewhat bewildered and somewhat shocked that he had initiated such as aggravated attack on Phelps. She turned to Phelps who was currently nursing his bruised cheek.

Time seemed to stand still.

Booth sighed anxiously as Brennan exited the hall with Phelps.

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**So I know I said this would be the last chapter but I'm certain the next one will be the last chapter. ****There wasn't as much fluff in this one but the next one will have a lot :D**

**There's more to Phelps and there's a reason Booth is so worried that Brennan is with him, and that will be revealed in the next chapter.**

**So if you want to know what happens, hit that button! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi there.**

**Well this is the final chapter of the story. I want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed and favoured this story, especially those who have been reading since the beginning. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it and I hope the ending suffices!**

**I don't own _Bones_ or the song _The way you look tonight_.**

**Enjoy the final chapter :)**

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The moment she walked out of the hall, she instantly regretted it. Brennan realised that things had gotten a little heated inside and she had a made a spur of the moment decision to leave with Phelps, when in fact she had only wanted to stay with Booth. 

Phelps was conversing about the worst of the cases he had seen and the gruesome crimes he had experienced. Brennan wasn't hearing any of it, all she could think about was Booth. The bruise on Phelps' face was starting to show, but she could only guess that Booth's were ten times worse.

"About three months ago there was a serial killer in the greater DC area. What he did… horrific stuff," he continued.

Brennan sighed inwardly. On the other hand why should she be so worried about Booth? He had it coming; he was the one who initiated the argument. He had been hostile toward Phelps from the moment he walked into the room. Still, she couldn't help but believe that Booth had a reason for acting the way he did. She flinched when she remembered the hurt in his eyes just before she left the hall with Phelps.

"Is everything alright?" Phelps turned to her as they reached the railing, beyond lay a beautiful lake whose waters shone under the half moon.

"Sorry," she looked up apologetically, "I got a little side tracked."

"Its Booth, isn't it?" He observed her before muttering to himself, "He never could hack it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Back when we used to work together, we got along, you know. We worked well," he started, "Until the post in Quantico came up. Things got a little tense, because we both wanted it. We were working on a case, a sting operation that went bad. He was in charge of the operation so he went down. I ended up getting the job and he just couldn't hack it."

"So that's why his been acting this way all night?" Brennan considered, somewhat suspiciously.

"Well there's that," he paused. He smiled as he moved in, "I think he might be a little jealous…"

Phelps moved toward Brennan, cornering her between the railing and himself. It was something Booth would do, she acknowledged warmly. But with Phelps, her defences immediately went up.

"It's getting cold, I'm going back inside," Brennan smiled politely as she tried to move around him.

"Ah come on, the night is still young," Phelps smiled as he looked her up and down suggestively.

Brennan's smiled forcefully and she cocked her head to one side. She weighed him up fiercely.

"Either you move," she replied, "Or I will make you."

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"Ouch," Booth groaned, "Jeez Angela!" 

Angela sighed again as she tried to place the ointment-filled cotton ball on his left cheek.

"I know it hurts Booth," She replied somewhat unsympathetically, "That's what happens when you decide to punch someone out. They retaliate."

"He started it," Booth replied, flinching again.

"You know what's really interesting?" Angela smiled, "You fight all the baddies. You get blown up, attacked, punched out… you manage to bare all that, but its only when there's a woman around that you start moaning with pain!"

Booth chuckled. They were both sitting on the staircase in the foyer area. Angela continued to dab ointment on his cheek, which had bruised badly. His nose had started to bleed but had eventually stopped; he also had a cut lip.

"I should go look for her," Booth decided, "She shouldn't be alone with him."

"I think you've done all you can."

"His a bad guy Ange."

"So you keep saying," Angela recognised the worry on his face, "What has he done Booth?"

"We worked together a few years ago. He seemed to be an alright bloke but he changed," Booth started. "He became really crooked. It started just before his wife filed for divorce."

"He was married?"

"Yeah. I met her once or twice, she seemed nice," he paused, "She filed a report against him; domestic violence."

"Oh my God," Angela gasped.

"They settled the claim during the divorce and she withdrew her allegations so it never made it to court," Booth continued, "She may have just been a gold digger but I think it was more than that."

Angela put her bottle of ointment and swabs next to her as she listened.

"That was when the Quantico promotion came up. Phelps was in a real hurry to leave because the dust hadn't settled yet; he knew that this could be his chance. We were on a case together. It went sour and I copped it real hard from my superiors. He got the promotion."

"Wait," Angela interrupted, "Why was it your fault?"

"I was in charge of the operation. But the truth is, it was because of him that the operation failed. He was flippant with classified information and on the night of the sting he was really negligent."

"You think he did it on purpose."

"I just know it Ange," Booth replied surely, "There couldn't be any other explanation."

"Wasn't there anything else you could have done to stop him?" Angela said, worriedly.

"A few of the agents kept track of him after the promotion but they never got anything," Booth flinched again as Angela pressed the cotton ball against his cheek again, "Phelps cleaned up his act."

Angela sighed worriedly. She was about to say something else but was interrupted.

"When were you going to tell me this?"

Booth stood up surprised, as he noticed Brennan by the foyer doors.

"How long have you been standing there?" he said, shocked that he hadn't seen her before.

"Long enough," She stepped inside the foyer.

"I tried Bones," he gently responded to her previous question.

"I'm sorry. I should have listened to you," Brennan replied genuinely, "You were right about him."

Angela got up and collected the swabs and the ointment. She smiled at them discreetly before heading upstairs to the bathroom. Booth turned to Brennan and considered her.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, acknowledging her statement.

"No, I'm okay," she replied, "He was a little pushy but- "

"That son of a- " Booth cursed as he pushed his way past Brennan, on his way to find Phelps. Brennan grabbed him by the arm.

"Booth, lets deal with it tomorrow," she stopped him, "Just leave it for now."

Brennan sighed wearily as Booth eyed her, protectively. They had already wasted so much time; she wanted to enjoy the rest of the Ball. When Phelps had almost refused to let her leave, she had realised there was a different side to him. Eventually, he had moved aside, most likely intimidated by her. She had thought of Booth then, he was a gentleman; nothing like Phelps.

She was glad that she had decided to come back, she wanted to be spend the evening with her partner.

She moved toward Booth and placed her fingers under his chin, guiding his face so to see his wounds.

"That must hurt," She said.

"Nah," he replied coolly, remembering his differing reaction to Angela earlier.

Brennan moved her fingers to his cheek and brought it down to the side of his lips, which were cracked. He smiled at her with warmth in his eyes and in the spur of the moment she brought her lips to the corner of his, and kissed him gently.

When they parted, she smiled quickly, and tried to pull away. He gently placed his hands on her waist to stop her, before bringing his lips down to hers. He kissed her gently but passionately allowing her to understand what she really meant to him. They pulled back for air, both somewhat flushed. Brennan cleared her throat nervously as Booth looked around.

"So, uh, what did you want to ask me?"

"What?" Brennan asked.

"Earlier on, you wanted to ask me something.."

"Oh. Right," Brennan smiled, "Well, I wanted to ask you to dance."

"I'd love to," Booth replied softly before reaching his hand out. She took it and he lead her inside the ball.

He led her to the dancefloor as _The way you look tonight_, began to play. Brennan clasped her hands around his neck as he laid his on her waist. They swayed to the music, happy to be in each other's arms knowing that although their future seemed somewhat uncertain, they would get through it, together.

**_The End_**

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**Well I hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**Since this is the last chapter I would really appreciate any reviews that you can give, even if it's just a smiley face or a review on what you thought of the story as a whole. It will make my day! And will be really helpful with future writing.**

**Hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks for reading!**


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